Paragon's Rose
by PrincessDOOM
Summary: My version of Beauty in the Beast! Paragon, the youngest of three sisters, travels with her father to find the Rose of the Ivory Horn. Little do they know it is guarded by a savage monster who says that in order for them to take the Rose, one of them must remain with him in his shadowy mansion. This is my first story, so bear with me. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Paragon sighed. It was brutally, humid and the air was thick with a strange electricity. She was curled on the window seat in her bedroom, the large window pushed open to allow some air circulation. She dangled her feet out the window hoping it was improper for a lady to do so. At seventeen she was the youngest of her family, and had two older sisters constantly pestering her to behave perfectly. To be a paragon—a model of perfect behavior. Well, she wasn't perfect. She would _never_ be perfect. Not a perfect lady anyway, for she would always be clumsy, adventurous, and somewhat sloppy. She smiled to herself — that would show them.

Glancing out the window, she saw Colette flirting with suitor number three—or was it four? No matter. Colette was all curls and curves. Absolutely gorgeous. And—huge surprise here—a perfect lady. Fair skinned, emerald eyed, and rosy cheeked, she was popular with _everyone_. No exceptions, kids, old ladies, guys, dogs...probably even skunks. Even Paragon couldn't help liking her, despite all the lessons in etiquette. Yup, so, that was Colette, the oldest.

Lina and Colette couldn't have been much more different. The only similarity was...they were both paragons, perfect, boring. No offense. Lina was tall and willowy with light brown, wavy hair and gentle brown eyes. Unlike Colette, she preferred books to people. She preferred books to just about anything else. Even eating. Paragon couldn't wrap her mind around that fact. It was to insane. That was Lina.

Paragon was the complete antithesis of them both, if that's possible. Can three things be opposites at the same time? Well, apparently so, because they were. Paragon had olive skin, high cheekbones, blue eyes flecked with gold, and dark hair that twisted itself into ringlets at the bottom. She wasn't a book person or a people person or even an animal person. She was a mystery person, or so she called herself. She told her sisters that she was interesting because she didn't just love one thing. She wanted to try everything. Be everyone. Or at least walk in their shoes for a day. She wanted to be a hero or a princess or a detective or a warrior. Secretly though, she wrote. She wrote of dragons and monsters and princes. She wrote of courage and greed and hope. Her mother had told her tales of these things as a little girl. She had said they were once real. Perhaps, Paragon thought, they still were. There were still princes, greed, courage, and whatnot; but she wanted pixies and dragons.

Paragon's mother had been much like her: a mystery person, full to the fingertips with adventures. Paragon felt tears rise in her eyes and blinked them back. Her mother had died three years ago, but her memory still hurt. She took a breath. The air practically tasted as though something was about to happen. Something did. A familiar creaking sound from outside. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright so quickly that she nearly tumbled out of the third story window.

"Father is home!" She shouted, already rushing down the winding stairs."Lina, Father's here!" She rushed past the library as Lina looked up from her book. Bouncing down the front steps onto the lawn, she came to an abrupt halt. There it was, her father's carriage, rattling down the drive. Paragon grinned widely. Colette's suitor had left, and Lina had joined them on the lawn. So there they stood, like statues, still and beautiful, waiting. Impatiently. Their father had been gone for three weeks on business, and all three girls had missed him terribly. His work often carried him away from home for long periods of time, but three weeks was especially long. The carriage rolled to a stop, and their father stepped out.

"Father!"

"Papa!"

"Your back!"

He threw open his arms,"One," He hugged Colette."Two," He embraced Lina."Three." He squeezed Paragon. "Aah, three times the charm."

"Welcome home, Father." Lina said smiling warmly.

"We missed you terribly." Colette added.

"How was your trip?" asked Paragon.

"Quite well." He grinned. "I'm famished. Is their any supper about?"

"Oh, yes! Sara is making pork roast and apple pie!" She replied cheerily. Her Father was home. He was safe. They were together. She smiled again. Nothing could go wrong on a day like today.


	2. Chapter 2-- The Vow

**Hey everybody! Welcome to chapter 2! I did this one from Paragon's point of view, so I hope you like it!**

Well, I suppose I really ought to tell the story from here on out. It _is_ my story after all—or mostly anyway. It's partly Colette's story, partly Lina's, partly Father's, and partly a few other people's, but you haven't met them yet. Oh—and in case you haven't guessed, I'm Paragon. Right then, back to the story, or my story, or whatever.

There we were eating pie, finally together, when someone knocked on the door.

"Oh! I'll get it!" Colette announced, rushing away from the dinner table. I assume she thought it was for her. Most of the time when people knock it is for her, but not this time. This time it was for Father. You'll never guess who was calling! It was the Queen! She demanded a private interview with Father directly. Colette, I'm afraid to say, stood there just gaping for a moment before inviting both her majesty and her escort in. I don't blame her, mind you. We are a well-to-do family, but to get an unexpected visit from Queen Delia! It's unheard of. This was probably what was going through Colette's mind as she scampered back to the dining room to tell us.

She looked rather flustered as she gushed," Oh, Father, it's Queen Delia to see you. What could she want? Do you know, Father? Do you?" Father rose abruptly, and strode calmly past Colette into the front hall where a rather impatient Queen Delia was waiting. My sisters and I peered around the corner to watch as he swept her an elegant bow and offered her his arm. She took it stiffly and allowed him to lead her into his study. To my annoyance, he closed the door behind them.

Lina, Colette, and I resigned ourselves to sitting in the dining room, anxiously making wild guesses as to why on earth the Queen was in our home.

"Is she going to arrest him?" Lina asked with a puzzled frown.

"If so, why ask for a private audience instead of just arresting him on the spot?" I countered.

"Paragon has a point." Colette said," She probably isn't arresting him."

"What then?" Lina cried, her brow wrinkling in frustration.

"She could be rewarding him for something..." Colette said, closing her eyes. She was probably dreaming of heaps of gold to buy heaps of gowns with.

"Doubtful," Lina said, shaking her head,"She was too stern looking."

"Maybe she always looks stern." I put in helpfully.

"Not helpful, Par." I smiled: point for me, no point for Colette.

" Okay then, maybe she needs his help with something." I suggested.

Lina frowned, "What could he help her with? He's a landlord."

A thought sparked in my brain," What if he's more than that? Whenever he goes away he never tells us where he's going, what if—"

"—Paragon!"Colette interposed.

"No, listen. What if he is off doing things for the Queen?"

"Really, Paragon, of all the silly, childish—" Colette started.

"Wait Coly, what if she's right?" Finally, someone agreed with me.

I never found out what Colette would have said next, for at that moment there was a rustle of silk and Queen Delia emerged followed by my father; they both looked grim. After a speedy farewell, the Queen departed, leaving my father to the three of us. Poor man. There was a brief silence before Colette began the torrent of questions.

"Well," she asked, "What was that all about?" Father rubbed a hand over his face and sank heavily into his chair.

" I guess it's about time you knew." He began. We girls agreed entirely, so we didn't interrupt. " A long time ago, when I was young and foolish, I met Queen Delia at a ball. Well, at that point she was still Princess Delia, but no matter. Anyhow, the moment I met her I fell head-over-heels in love with her, and as I was a dashing sort of fellow, she took a fancy to me as well." I was frowning by now, angry that he had dared to love anyone but Mamma, even if he was only sixteen. " We had a grand time and once it grew late, the two of us strolled around the gardens, and I made a vow that has come back to haunt me." He sighed.

"What vow?" I prompted.

" I vowed to do whatever I could to help her, no matter what the circumstances."

"So, that's why you're gone all the time." Lina said. Father nodded even though it wasn't really a question.

"I see. So now she is taking advantage of that vow, and you, being an honest man, are holding yourself to it." Colette whispered.

"Wow, Colette, thanks for clearing that up." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Paragon, this really isn't the time." Lina admonished. "What did she want now?"

"She—she wanted the Rose of the Ivory Horn."

"The what?" Colette asked. Unlike Lina and I she didn't enjoy reading, and, thus, didn't know what the Rose was.

"You don't know?" He asked in astonishment. "The Rose is said to have healing powers. One breath of the sweet aroma of it and, _viola_ , You're cured of any disease or illness you may have. Legend has it that the Rose is resting inside an ivory horn in the center of The Twisted Wood."

"And she wants you to retrieve this?" Colette asked incredulously," You don't actually believe it's real, do you?"

Father looked at her for a moment, "I couldn't say. Your mother believed it was, but so many people have died searching for it. The Twisted Wood is a dangerous place."

Lina opened her mouth to speak, but I knew the words before she spoke them, "Will you go?" I also knew the answer. "Yes."

"Must you!? You've only just returned!" Colette moaned," Oh, Father, please don't!"

"I vowed. It is my duty." He said firmly.

I knew there was no use arguing, but I had to try nonetheless. It was my duty. "It is also your duty to take care of us." I protested cruelly, " Will you neglect us for a foolish promise? None of us are married. What if you don't make it back?" It was harsh, I know, but anything to keep him from risking his neck for the woman he had thought he loved before he met Mamma. I wouldn't forgive him for that quite yet.

"A promise is a promise no matter how foolish it may seem, and, you, my beautiful daughters... I have full confidence that you will be able to manage yourselves well enough in my absence."

"When will you leave then?" Lina asked in a mournful tone.

"Tomorrow morning, early."

"Then we'll help you pack."She said with a nod. So, with that we all abandoned our pie, (a decision I regret to this day) and began loading the various necessary items into Father's saddle bags. Once we were through packing, we talked for hours, that is, until Colette declared that Father needed his rest at which point we all headed upstairs. Lina and I both followed Colette to her room without a word, but the moment the door was closed Colette began to speak in rapid fire.

"He's crazy! She's crazy! How can she send him into the most dangerous forest in the country alone! He can't go alone, but there's no one to go with him. Oh, Lina, what if he dies?" She burst into a flood of tears, and Lina stroked her hair.

"You're right." I said, "He can't go alone. That's why I'm going with him."

"What!?" Lina and Colette cried at once.

"You can't!" Lina said.

"No way!" Colette said.

"Why not?" I asked indignantly. It was the logical thing to do. I could wield a sword or knife as well as any boy could, I was brave, fast, and strong. To top it all off, I was great company. Not to sound conceited or anything, but I was the obvious choice.

"Because, ladies don't go traipsing off into the woods!" Colette said with a dramatic wave of her hand.

"This one does." I objected. "And I will go whether you want me to or not, so you may as well help me prepare." Sensibly Lina got up to assist me. Colette, on the other hand, just sat on her bed in shock. She, of all people, should have known that I was bound to do something crazy at some point. Perhaps she just wasn't expecting it to be _this_ crazy.


	3. Chapter 3-- The Adventure Begins

**Hey friends! Welcome to chapter three! Please review if you like it :) I stayed with Paragon's point of view. I think it's better that way...**

The next morning I awoke before the sun to ready my horse and help Sara cook a good breakfast. I knew my Father would never even consider allowing me to join him, so I didn't plan to ask him for permission. At dawn, Lina, Colette, and Father appeared for breakfast. Lina looked perfectly calm, as though she had either figured out how to stop us from going or had decided to be alright with it. Colette appeared noticeably distraught, but I had expected that. Father was cheerful. Overly so, in fact. He was clearly trying to keep us from worrying. Like that was gonna happen.

After breakfast we went outside where Father saddled his gelding, Zinc. I suddenly felt a jolt of nerves in the pit of my stomach, the sort of quaky feeling when you think you might be sick. Luckily, I wasn't sick. Colette stood outside with Father while he adjusted his saddle bags. Lina followed me into the stables where she boosted me into the saddle of Nickle, my mare. With a quick attempt to calm my nerves, I smiled gratefully at Lina and rode from the stables, head held high.

Father stared at me for a moment.

"I'm coming with you," I said softly, "Please don't try to stop me, because I can't let you go alone. I can't say I'm not afraid to go, but I can say I want to—need to—go." He opened his mouth to speak, but I rushed on, "I won't be a burden, I promise. I can take care of myself. I can hunt, fight, and cook...Please, Father." I begged. Wow. I begged, right after deciding I was going to go without asking him. Now he would say no. He'd tell me to stay at home like a proper lady.

"Very well. Come if you must." He said slowly. I'm pretty sure my mouth must have fallen open, but I don't remember.

"What?"I rasped, in total surprise.

"You may accompany me." He repeated, his eyes smiling at me. Colette began to cry silently. Lina reached up and squeezed my hand.

"Thank you, Father." I whispered, still in awe. "Farewell, Lina, Colette."

"Farewell, little sister," Lina returned.

Colette gazed up at me, teary eyed, " Be careful, Paragon." She said. I nodded dumbly, and in a few moments we were off on the adventure of a lifetime.

We lived but half a day's ride from the Twisted Wood, and though our nerves were tight, Father and I spent the morning in pleasant conversation.

"How is it," I asked, "that the Rose of the Ivory Horn hasn't died after however many years it has been alive?"

"Whoever made it gave it enough pwer to stay alive, I guess. The Horn in which it grows has a power as well, though no one knows exactly what it is. I've heard it can do all manner of things: make one incredibly beautiful, make one young again, reverse any enchantment, give such wealth as is unimaginable." He explained.

"The Queen did not ask for the Horn did she?"

"No, only the Rose. So if we find the Rose, the Ivory Horn will be yours."

"Mine!?" I asked in alarm. "What on earth would I do with such power?"

"I don't know," he replied, "since you are already wealthy, young and beautiful."

I blushed slightly, "Then that leaves reversing an enchantment. Hmm, Father, are you by any chance under an enchantment?" I asked playfully.

"I'm afraid not." he returned, smiling.

"Father?"

"Yes, my child." I frowned. Being called _my child_ didn't really strike my fancy. I carried on nevertheless.

"If you had the Horn, what would you do with it?"

"I think, I would leave it in the forest," he said after a long moment.

"But it is such a great treasure!"

"True enough, yet I cannot help but think that a man with such power would become a terrible father, a terrible friend, and perhaps a terrible person all in all."

"I can't imagine you would, Father." I said softly, "Maybe another man would. A man who was already greedy or selfish."

"You think too well of me, Par. Surely I am not above other men. We all have our faults."

"Yes...Maybe we ought to leave it in the forest, you know, if we find it." I realized that Father was probably right, and if we had no really important use for it, we may as well leave it behind.

"Paragon," Father called, " Do you believe the Rose is real?"

I didn't answer. Did I believe it was real? I wanted to. I wanted to trust that magic existed, that healing roses and magic horns were actually real. Maybe wanting to believe was the same thing as believing, I thought.

"Yes." I said, and realized that I truly meant it.

"Good." He nodded as he said this, and I realized that he had needed me to be sure.

"Are you afraid, Papa?" I asked, after a moment's deliberation. I didn't want to offend him, but I needed to know. For a long time he peered at me through his brownish-green eyes, and then he turned away without answering, So, yes. He was afraid. Maybe coming wasn't such a great idea after all.

"Look." Papa pointed off into the distance, and I got my first glimpse of the Twisted Forest. Even from miles away, it had a sort of wicked look to it. It loomed dangerously high, ancient trees filled with the magic of the heart of the forest.

"Wow, that's...wow," I whispered.

"I know," he answered shaking his head. "Par?"

"Yes, Papa?"

"I'm sorry for getting us into this mess." I thought he sounded sad, and suddenly old and tired. I rode up next to him and squeezed his hand briefly.

"It's alright, Papa." He shook his head, and Zinc shifted from foot to foot. "I guess we should keep going?"

"Right. Keep your sword ready when we go in. I've heard all kinds of stories, so who knows what's really in there."

By the time we actually reach the forest, darkness is settling over it, thick and black. We decided to set up camp and wait until morning to face the whatever was in these woods. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep, but once I lay down, I realized just how tired I was. That's when the howling started.

 **What did you think? Should I keep going? I'm gonna try to add some more adventure to the next chapter, since this one was kind of slow. :) Any ideas of some names for the beast? I haven't thought of one yet :/ Review please :)**


	4. Chapter 4-- Attack!

**Hi friends! Here's chapter 4! I've been trying to get chapters up fast :) Please review!**

I sat up quickly, fumbling for my sword. Wolves. Kicking off my blankets, I moved to the entrance. The moon glowed brightly enough that I could see them. There were eight, no nine, and they were circling the tents. What had I read? Fire keeps them away. Unfortunately, Papa and I had opted against a fire and just ate our food cold. I watched his tent. He must be awake too. One wolf darted forward and poked his head into Papa's tent, snarling. I was halfway out of my tent when he collapsed, fur matted with blood. Papa shoved him out onto the ground. I stepped out, hoping to make a dash for Papa's tent, when I heard a low growl to my left. I turned and froze. The wolf crouched down on its elbows, ready to spring. My strangled scream echoed through the forest. Every creature from here to the other end of the wood must have heard it. I clutched my sword, trembling a little. As the wolf leapt toward me, a shrill whistle rang out. Abruptly, the pack turned and loped back into the forest. I stood frozen for a moment longer before turning to see Papa dragging the dead wolf from our campsite.

"Are you alright, Papa?"

"A few scratches, but other than that, yes. And you?"

"I'm fine." I looked wonderingly into the woods. "Someone called them."

He nodded. "I know. Whoever it was saved our lives….unless they sent them to attack us in the first place."

"Who would train wolves to come at whistle though? I mean, they certainly didn't seem tame."

"Agreed. I hope we don't find out." That's when I noticed.

"Papa. The horses are gone." They really were. Hoofprints followed the pawprints all the way into the woods. "Should we go after them?"

"Let's wait till light. Then we'll keep going."

The woods seemed infinitely less ominous in the light, but they were still creepy. Papa and I clumped through the underbrush, following the horses' trails. We hadn't been sure what to do at first, but since the prints seemed to lead toward the heart of the forest, we followed them. At first, walking was refreshing, but my legs quickly grew heavy.

"So you've really been doing things for Queen Delia all these years?"

"Unfortunately, yes." I frown at my muddy boots. He lied to us.

"Did Mamma know?"

He glanced over at me. "Of course, Par. I didn't keep secrets from your mother. We just didn't want you girls to worry about me, so we let you think I was on business."

"You lied to us," I said flatly.

"I withheld the truth."

"It's the same thing!"

"I'm sorry, Paragon!"

"I've trusted you for my entire life, and you lied to me. What? You couldn't have told us after Mamma died?"

"I didn't think you needed anything else to worry about."

"Maybe I wanted to worry about you! Maybe I wanted to think about something other than how much I missed her. Miss her." I tripped over a particularly evil root.

"And maybe I was wrong, Par. But it's too late to know now, isn't it?" I grunted noncommittally.

"So, are we still going to be in here tonight? Cause, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be eaten by wolves." He had that wrinkle in his forehead that he gets when he's worried.

"We could sleep in the trees. Or at least sit up there until morning."

"That sounds fun."

 **Any suggestions for next chapter? Review review review! Have an awesome day/night!**


	5. Chapter 5-- Hidden Mansion

**Chapter Five everyone! Thanks to** **LilactheDryad** **for your reviews! I loved getting them!**

"I swear I just heard a whinny!" I announced around lunchtime. Well, I think it could possibly have been a whinny. The good news was that we were still following hoofprints, which meant that Zinc and Nickle were alive.

"I didn't hear anything," Papa said, tilting his head to listen.

I shrugged. "Well, you _are_ pretty old so…."

"Paragon!" He exclaimed, feigning anger, "What about respecting your elders?"

I grinned. "Who said I don't respect you? I simply do not have much faith in your sense of hearing."

He grunted. "Wait! I hear it now!" Together, we broke into a run, pausing every so often to listen. Abruptly, we stumbled into a clearing. One moment, there was nothing but trees for miles, and the next, we were at the edge of a clearing. The first thing I noticed was the mansion. It was a massive stone building that looked a thousand years old. Vines crept up its sides, swarming around the windows. Papa tapped my arm, breaking into my thoughts.

"The Rose." I gasped a little when I saw it. The Horn hovered a few inches over a stone pedestool in the middle of the courtyard. Inside sat the Rose. I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. The Rose looked almost ordinary. It was just a pale pink, slightly wilted rose. It glowed just a little, though, and when I took a breath, I could smell it even from twenty yards away.

"We have to go get it!"

Papa nodded. "Yes, but how will we get over the fence. The fence? Oh. The giant metal fence right in front of my face. That fence.

"Should we knock? The gate's right over there."

"Okay. But be ready, if someone lives here, they could have been the one who sent the wolves."

"Well, they also called off the wolves so…." There isn't a doorbell or anything on the gate, so I just tap it with a stick. Apparently, I hit it a bit harder than I meant to, and the _gong_ bounces off the mansion, echoing back at us. "At least they definitely heard me?"

"Remind me why I let you come?"

"Because you knew I was just going to follow you if you didn't take me with you." I gave him a smug smile. We waited a few minutes, but no one came. "I'm going over." I grabbed the bars and started pulling myself up.

"Paragon! Get down!" He reached for my foot, but I yanked it out of his reach.

"I'm just going to grab the Rose and get out!" I swung over the top and dropped to the ground on the other side. "See? Easy." I ambled across the grass, taking in the courtyard and house. "Papa, isn't this place gorgeous?" I called over my shoulder.

"Hurry up, Par! Someone might be in there!"

I laughed. "Aren't you a worrywart?" Gently, I lifted the Rose from it's stand. Feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden, I ran back to the fence. "Here, Papa." I passed the Rose between the bars. He took it, glanced up, and went pale. "What's wrong?" I don't know why I asked. I could already feel someone behind me.

 **Duh. Duh, duh. Are you all excited to meet the Beast ?**

 **Please review if you like stories or tacos or food in general... or sleep. There, I think I've covered everything important ;) Now you all have to review. MWAHAHAHAHAHA**


	6. Chapter 6--Enter Beast

**Hey friends, if you've read this far, thank you! Here comes the beast! I hope you like him...or don't like him. Or enjoy reading about him...haha okay I'm done.**

The breath whooshed out of me as an iron hand gripped my throat. With a choked scream, I kicked backwards, not making contact with anything.

"That won't do much for you." His voice was so… hypnotic, so soothing, but it had a hard edge to it. Anger? I vaguely heard Papa yelling for him to let me go. Black spots spotted my vision, and I clawed at the hand holding my throat. It loosened, and I crumpled, gasping for air.

My captor turned toward my father. "You have your prize. You can now fulfill your vow."

"Let her go!" I'd never seen him so angry. I could practically feel the waves of rage rolling off of him.

"Ah. But I cannot. She is a trespasser and a thief, and as her punishment, she will remain here. Forever."

"Keep the Rose, Sir. But please give me my daughter!"

He just laughed. It was a disgustingly melodic sound. "Go to your Queen. Give her what she seeks, before I decide to send my wolves to escort you."

I finally found my voice. "So they are your wolves?" He ignored me, still staring daggers at Papa.

"Paragon, Par, I can't leave you," he murmurs. "Wait," he turned back to my new, life-long housemate. "Take me instead!" I looked up at the monster/person, finally brave enough to take a good look at him. He wasn't something easy to describe. He looked human, but seemed to have a veil of darkness around him, like he was part shadow. The longer I watched, the darker and blurrier he got. I shivered when he looked at me.

"Go before I decide to just kill the girl and be done with it!"

Papa's eyes widened. "Just go, Papa. I'm sure I'll be back sometime or other. He'll probably get tired of me pretty fast anyway." I forced a smirk onto my face. "Love you."

"I love you too." And then he left me with Shadow-monster for all eternity.

"Are you just going to sit there?" he asked. I really, really wanted to punch him, but I _did_ steal his Rose so….

"I'm actually enjoying sitting, thank you. I've done more than enough walking for one day." He yanked me to my feet, and I glowered at him. "I take it making friends isn't your strong suit?"

"And I suppose tact isn't yours." Ooh. A comeback. For half a second, I almost liked him. And then I remembered I didn't. He took my arm and dragged me to the front door.

"What's in there?" I asked, suddenly scared.

"Skeletons, bubbling cauldrons, and ghosts. Also, mountains of asparagus. Beware." Wait, did he just make a joke? But then I remembered his fingers clenched around my throat and bit my lip. Would he really have killed me? The door swung open, without him even having to touch it. "Thank you," he said. Did he just thank the door?

The floors were beautiful hardwoods with thick scarlet rugs. The furniture was just big. Actually, everything was big, as was he. I felt dwarfed by it all.

"How old is this place?"

"Four hundred and twelve." It was strange. I couldn't quite tell where he began and where he ended, but his hand felt so solid and normal on my arm.

"How long have you lived here?" His shadows grew darker, and he didn't answer.

"Jase, take the girl to her room now." I looked around, but saw no one. A cold hand took my free wrist, and I screamed. The shadows darkened once more. "Go." He released my arm.

"No! Wait, please!" I screamed after him, but he stalked away. " Let me go. Jase? Please! Who — who are you?"

"Calm down, child." I screamed again. "What? Can't you see me?" I shook my head rapid fire. "Huh. I was afraid of that. I can see myself, of course. And the Master can see me, but the others can't, I'm afraid. It's all Jezabel's fault, the witch."

I took a breath. "So, you're invisible?"

"Apparently."

"And, you're, um — human?" I had to ask.

"Last time I checked."

"And, just to be clear, you're not going to kill me?"

"Of course not! Don't be absurd!" Well, it didn't seem too absurd considering that his master had nearly suffocated me earlier, but I was glad Jase didn't want me dead.

"Right. Do you mind my asking why?"

"Because I'm not a murdurer!" he said, indignant.

"No no. I meant, why are you invisible?"

His grip on my wrist tightened. "Ah. We aren't to speak of that. Take care you don't mention it to master, or he'll be angry. Trust me, you don't want him angry."

"Wh — why not?" I stuttered, hoping he'd actually answer. As much as I liked the idea of magic, this whole thing was a bit much.

"Well, he hasn't been the same. Not since….well, I'm not supposed to speak of that am I?"

 **Okay, I put a little more action in now. What'd you all think? Sorry the last two chapters were so short! I'm not sure if I'll be able to update tomorrow, so I thought I'd just post two chapters today :)**

 **PLEASE REVIEW! Sorry...did that seem too desperate?**

 **Smiles and sunshine,**

 **me 3**


	7. Chapter 7- Cursed

My room is pale green, and it looks like it was made for a princess. It's actually amazing. The closet is filled to bursting with dresses, but I resist the urge to try them on. I open another door and find a bathroom. The tub is already full of steaming water. How many invisible servants are there?

"Um. Is this for me?" No one answers. "Okay….I've been in the woods for like two days now and I really need a bath, so I'm just gonna use it. Thank you?" I'll take the lack of response to mean that there's no one in here.

The water envelopes me in wonderful warmness, and the soap smells like roses. The rap on the door startles me.

"Yes?"

"Miss, the Master wishes for you to join him for supper in one hour," a light voice says.

"Who are you?"

"Celeste, dear. I'm your personal maid for your time here." My time here being forever?

"Tell him I'd rather not eat with a psycopath."

"I think it was more of an order than a request," Celeste says through the door.

"I'm not going."

"Please, Miss? I — I don't want him to be angry at me."

An hour later, I'm dressed in a silver gown and walking down the steps into the dining room. I'm also pouting. I'm only doing this out of sympathy for Celeste...and maybe I'm a bit curious too.

"You're late," he says flatly, when I walk in.

"You're a monster."

He smirks. "What, for inviting you to dinner?"

"I'd hardly consider it an invitation, but no. I was thinking more along the lines of because _you almost killed me earlier_."

"Oh, still sore about that are you?" I have no words. None. His eyes trail down my gown. "You look magnificent." Ugh, that voice. When he looks at me, his shadows fade a little, and he looks more human than I've seen him.

"I know."

"Please, sit down." When I refuse, he shoves me into a chair.

"What a gentleman," I snarl. "Are you going to force food down my throat too?"

He sits opposite me. "No. If you want to starve yourself, it's hardly my problem." He leans across the table, green eyes flashing. "But I am the master of this house, and no one disobeys me." Or what? Do you kill them or something? Probably. Unless there's a torture chamber in the basement. I flash him a perfect smile.

"What is your name?"

"You needn't speak unless I address you." He raises his voice. "Where's the food already?"

"Just a moment, Sir," someone calls from the kitchen.

"Look, Shadow-man, if I'm gonna be stuck here, we're going to have to set some ground rules. Firstly, I don't take orders from you. You may ask me to do something. But I decide whether or not I do it."

He laughs out loud. "You do realize I have a pack of wolves at my command?"

I meet his eyes evenly. "Yes. Though, it's one less then a pack now, isn't it?"

His face grows suddenly cold, and the shadow grows so thick, I can barely make out his face. "If you ever lay a hand on them again, I swear I'll kill you myself and feed you to them." Oookaay then.

I stand leaning part way accross the table. "Alright, I'm done. Have a nice meal." I stalk back toward the stairs, half-expecting him to grab me. Part way up the stairs, an arm slides through mine, and I jump. "You really have to stop doing that."

"You should really be careful. Master isn't one to forgive easily."

"How long have you lived here, Jase?" I say, changing the subject. I'm not sure why, but I don't think Shadow will kill me. I could be wrong, bt if I'm going to be here for a while, he's going to have to play nice.

I can hear the frown in his voice. "Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Fine, I'll ask an easier one. How many of you are there?"

"There's only one of me."

"I meant invisible servants."

"Oh, six. Me, Celeste, Ria, Chef Jorje, Nate the stable boy, and Annie. The others weren't here, so they weren't turned invisible." Weren't here...weren't here when the others were turned invisible.

"That must have been awful for you," I say, hoping he'll offer another clue about….well all of this.

"It was. It took us awhile to even realize that we were. I can see myself just fine, but Master is the only other person who can see any of us." So….were they cursed?

"Do you think you could show me around? This place is gigantic."

"I don't see why not, as long as we keep out of Master's way….We'll have to be quiet too, since he's already upset as it is."

"He seems sensitive," I say bluntly.

"He is. I think he's afraid to trust after what happened." I'm literally dying of curiosity. Maybe I'll learn something on this tour?

 **A/N: What did you all think? Any suggestions for next chapter? Please review!**

 **Hope you all have an awesamazing day!**

~Alyssa


	8. Chapter 8-- Friends?

"Wow. This is amazing, Jase." The bookcases are three stories high. Covering all of the walls. Rows and rows of books, some falling apart and some untouched. "Who reads all of these?"

"Master does, occasionally, but they were his mother's. She had a fondness for books."

"Is she….gone?"

"Yes, she died of typhoid a few years before…. You know." Actually, I don't know!

"If I'm going to be here for a while, you may as well just tell me what happened." He just laughs. "So, is the Rose really magical?"

"Yes, it has healing powers."

"Have you used it?"

"No, but Master has, it helps him keep the shadows away." He clearly _wants_ to tell me what happened. Maybe he's just scared to.

"So it heals the shadows?"

"Not permanently. Just for a little while." So are they like a sickness or injury somehow?

"Why do they come back?"

"Because Jezebel sent them. They won't go away until someone breaks the enchantment." He stops. "Please don't tell Master I told you," he pleads. "When he's angry, the shadows get so much worse. They — they torture him." The clock strikes eight times. "Oh! I have to go! Excuse me, Miss!" The door swings open and closes with a bang.

"Wait….huh. I don't know how to get back to my room." Who am I even talking to? I laugh at myself. Probably to keep from crying. This is insane. I'm a prisoner in a mansion of people cursed by an enchantress. I decide that my next mission is to find out Shadow-man's name. I pad out of the library and realize that I'm already lost. Great.

I push open the first door I come to, and to my surprise, it takes me out into the courtyard. The sun is gone, but torches light up the garden. A soft whinny comes from my left. Nickle. I've never been a big fan of horses, I mean, they're beautiful creatures, and Lina loves them, but I couldn't ever get past the smell. But right now, it's the most beautiful sound I've heard all day. The stable door I cracked open, so I slide through.

"Hey, girl," I croon, reaching to stroke my horse's mane. "Are you okay?" I push open the stall door to check her legs. There are a few minor scratches, but she seems okay. "You're such a good girl. Are they treating you well?" She snorts. "Uhuh. Look at all this hay! You're gonna be a chubby pony aren't you?" She tosses her head disdainfully, and I snicker.

"I don't recall giving you permission to come here." That perfect voice gives me the shivers every time. It's really infuriating.

I give him my sweetest smile. "I don't recall giving you permission to steal my horse." I prop myself against the stall door, leaning close enough to feel his breath on my cheek. He looks like he's around Lina's age, only a few years older than me. Why is he so gorgeous? Focus, Par.

"If I'm not mistaken, I cared for your horses when they stumbled upon my land. You're welcome."

I brush a strand of dark hair from my face. "Hmm." I hold out my hand. "I'm Paragon, if you're going to be nice, we can try to be friends." I put on my sternest face. He grins. Oh well, I'm not really one to hold a grudge. I'm still wary and mad, but since he's the only person I can see, I'd like to be on civil terms at least.

He takes my hand in his large one. "Cor. Cor Weston. Pleased to meet you."

"Cor." I test the name. He nods and slowly releases my hand.

"I hope you found the house to your liking?"

I nod, eager to have a pleasant conversation. "Yes, it's beautiful. And you have an incredible library!"

"Do you read?" He asks. Nickel nudges my shoulder, so I step out of the stall.

"If I can get my hands on a book."

"My mother was the same way." He has a kind of wistful look in his eyes. "She was a great lady. Understood me like no one else." He's talking to himself more than me now. "But there's not much left of me to understand. I suppose the servants have told you what a monster I am?"

"I was told not to make you angry," I say bluntly.

"What do you think of me, Paragon?" I met his eyes for a moment, but they were emotionless, calculating.

"I'm still deciding."

"How much of a monster I am?" There's a firy hurt back in his eyes.

"How much of a human you are," I whisper.

"I'm not much of a human." The brief moment was lost, and he slipped out into the dark.

 **A/N: Hey everyone, thank you all so much for reading! What'd you think of Cor and Paragon?**

 **Sorry it took me a bit to update :/ Enjoy!**

 **Please review! It makes my day :)**

 **Smiles,**

 **Princess Lyss :)**


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